Alarm system component with unpowered event detection

ABSTRACT

A component 10 for use in an alarm system includes a component controller 12 and an offline configuration module 14. The offline configuration module 14 includes a passive RFID tag and is configured to receive and store an indication of at least one configuration parameter wirelessly transmitted to the configuration module. Upon initialisation of the component 10, the component controller 12 operates the component 10 in accordance with one or more protocol determined by the at least one configuration parameter indicated by the indication stored by the offline configuration module 14.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to European Patent Application No.20382382.8, filed May 8, 2020, the contents of which are incorporated byreference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a technique for configuring acomponent for use in an alarm system.

An alarm system, such as a fire alarm system or an intrusion alarmsystem, comprises a number of components working in unison to detect andraise an alarm in the event of a change in a monitored environmentalparameter. A typical alarm system comprises a plurality of componentdevices, such as detectors, manual call points and notificationappliances, which are connected to form a robust infrastructure that ismanaged centrally from a control panel.

Manufacturers of components for use in alarm system will often designcomponents that are interoperable with multiple different alarm systems.However, end users prefer to receive a pre-configured component that canbe connected directly to the control panel of their alarm system withoutthe need for configuration on site. Consequently, components for alarmsystems are typically supplied in a pre-configured form.

In order to supply pre-configured components, the end user will specifya number of configuration parameters for the product at the time oforder. This may include a communications protocol to be used, forexample determined by the manufacturer of the control panel, details ofthe environment where the component is to be deployed, the country wherethe component is to be deployed, and the like. However, this results ina significant number of possible variants for each component meaningthat components cannot be stockpiled by the component manufacturer andmust instead be produced and configured after an order has been made.

It has been proposed to stockpile a basic pre-configuration componentand to then configure the component after the configuration parametersare received. However, this is a complex process as each component mustbe recovered from storage, individually powered on, programmed and thenpackaged for delivery to the end user.

A need therefore exists for an improved alarm system component.

SUMMARY

Viewed from a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a componentfor use in an alarm system comprising: a component controller; and anoffline configuration module, wherein the offline configuration moduleis configured to receive and store an indication of at least oneconfiguration parameter wirelessly transmitted to the configurationmodule, and wherein the component controller is configured to, uponinitialisation of the component, operate the component in accordancewith the at least one configuration parameter indicated by theindication stored by the offline configuration module.

The described component may advantageously be configured after assemblyto operate in accordance with the one or more configuration parameters.The configuration parameters may define which protocols the componentshould implement or follow during operation. For example, a manufacturermay only require one production line to produce each component, whichcan then be customised to operate in accordance with any number andcombination of configuration parameters depending on the end user'ssystem requirements.

Providing an offline configuration module enables the component towirelessly receive and store an indication of the at least oneconfiguration parameter, so that the configuration can occur while thecomponent is not installed in the alarm system and/or connected topower. In some implementations, it is envisaged that this might beperformed after packaging and/or storage of the component. This allows anon-configured component to be stockpiled and then straightforwardly andefficiently configured once the required configuration parameters, whichmay include at least one protocol, are received.

The offline configuration module may be configured to useradio-frequency (RF) communication, and may comprise an RFID tag.Preferably, the offline communication module comprises a passive RFIDtag. That is to say, the RFID tag may be configured to draw power froman RF excitation field to power the RFID tag. The use of a passive RFIDtag advantageously means that it is not necessary to include a battery.RFID tags including batteries have a limited shelf-life and are largerand more expensive than passive RFID tags.

Furthermore, RFID readers do not require line-of-sight in order tointeract with tags which can increase speed and efficiency of theconfiguration. For example, the use of RFID may allow for a fullypackaged product to be configured, which was not previously possible.

The offline configuration module may be an active or semi-passive RFIDtag, and may comprise a battery. That is to say, the RFID tag may beconfigured to draw power from an internal battery for RF communicationover increased distances relative to a passive RFID tag. However, morepreferably, the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag.

The offline configuration module may comprise a memory, wherein theindication of at least one configuration parameter is stored. The memorymay be electrically erasable, programmable, read-only memory (EEPROM).The configuration memory may be read-write or write-once, read-many(WORM).

The component controller may be configured to, upon initialisation ofthe component, acquire the indication of at least one configurationparameter from the offline configuration module. The component mayinitialise upon connection to a power source. Initialisation of thecomponent may comprise the installation within an alarm system andsubsequent activation and start-up procedure of the componentcontroller. The component controller acquiring the indication of atleast one configuration parameter from the offline configuration moduleupon initialisation provides a more robust automated system.

The component controller may comprise a memory, wherein a plurality ofprotocols are stored.

The component controller may be configured to, in response to theindication of at least one configuration parameter, activate at leastone protocol out of the plurality of protocols stored in the componentmemory. Thus, the component controller may be configured to operate inaccordance with at least one of the plurality of protocols based on theindication of the at least one configuration parameter. Storing theplurality of protocols in the component memory, and only storing aflag/indication of the at least one configuration parameter (which maydefine which protocol(s) are to be activated) in the configurationmemory, allows the component to be configured quickly as only a smallamount of data needs to be transmitted to the offline configurationmodule.

The component may be configured in a configuration zone. A configurationzone may comprise an environment the component can be brought into to beconfigured. For example, a wireless signal containing an indication ofthe at least one configuration parameter may be transmitted to eachcomponent brought into the configuration zone. RFID readers and the likedo not require line-of-sight in order to interact with tags, such that aconfiguration zone can be arranged. Multiple components may beconfigured simultaneously when brought into a configuration zone, whichcan increase the speed and efficiency of the configuration. Inparticular, the multiple components may be configured using the sameconfiguration parameters. For example, a single wireless signal may bebroadcast to all components within the configuration zone, or individualwireless signals containing the same configuration parameters may betransmitted to each component within the configuration zone.

The plurality of protocols may include communication protocols and/oroperational protocols. Communication protocols define the rules andsynchronisation of communication between two or more components in acommunications system such as an alarm system. Operational protocolsdirect and control the standard operation and maintenance modes of thecomponent. This may include ensuring the component is compliant with oneor more industry and/or national standards. The plurality of protocolsmay also include management procedures that handle the processes andpractices of the component and the alarm system.

The alarm system may be a fire alarm system.

The component may be an initiating component, which may be a firedetection component, such as a heat detector or a smoke detector, orwhich may be a manual call point.

The component may be a fire alarm control panel, preferably anaddressable fire alarm control panel.

The component may be a fire suppression component such as a sprinklersystem or fire door holder.

The component may be a fire notification component, such as a visual oraudible fire alarm, or voice evacuation system.

The alarm system may be an intrusion alarm system.

The component may be an infrared or motion sensor.

Viewed from a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a method ofconfiguring a component for an alarm system, the method comprising:receiving, by an offline configuration module of the component, wirelesstransmission of an indication of at least one configuration parameter;and storing, by the offline configuration module, the indication of theat least one configuration parameter, wherein a component controller ofthe component is configured to, upon initialisation of the component,operate the component in accordance with the at least one configurationparameter indicated by the indication stored by the offlineconfiguration module.

The component may be as discussed above in the first aspect andoptionally may include any/all of the further features discussed above.

The storing of the indication of the at least one configurationparameter may comprise storing the indication of the at least oneconfiguration parameter in a memory of the offline configuration module.

The component controller may be configured to, upon initialisation ofthe component, acquire the indication of the at least one configurationparameter from the offline configuration module. The component mayinitialise upon connection to a power source. Initialisation of thecomponent may comprise the installation within an alarm system andsubsequent activation and start-up procedure of the componentcontroller.

The component controller may be configured to, in response to acquiringthe indication of the at least one configuration parameter, activate aprotocol stored in a memory of the component and indicated by the atleast one configuration parameter.

The method may comprise broadcasting a wireless transmission from atransceiver. The wireless transmission may be a radio frequency (RF)signal and the transceiver may be an interrogator.

The method of configuring the component for an alarm system may beperformed by a customer after purchase.

The method of configuring the component for an alarm system may beperformed by a manufacturer, and may be performed after production ofthe physical component and/or after the component has been packaged.

The method of configuring the component for an alarm system may furthercomprise establishing a configuration zone. Within the configurationzone, a wireless signal containing an indication of the at least oneconfiguration parameter is transmitted to each component brought intothe configuration zone. The method may comprise bringing the componentinto a configuration zone.

The component may be one of a plurality of components brought into theconfiguration zone simultaneously. Thus, the method of configuring thecomponent for an alarm system may comprise configuring multiplecomponents simultaneously by bringing them into the configuration zone.

DRAWING DESCRIPTION

A preferred embodiment will now be described in greater detail, by wayof example only and with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a fire alarm system; and

FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a configurable smoke detectorfor use in the fire alarm system of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a fire alarm system 1.

The fire alarm system 1 comprises a fire alarm control panel 2 thatmonitors inputs from a plurality of initiating components, processesdata from the initiating components, and controls notificationcomponents and/or fire suppression systems.

The initiating components of the fire alarm system 1 include componentsthat are automatically actuated, such as smoke detector 3 and heatdetector 4, as well as manually actuated components, such as manual callpoint 5.

The notification components of the fire alarm system 1 include a visualfire alarm 6 and an audible fire alarm 7. The fire suppression systemsof the fire alarm system 1 include a sprinkler system 8 and a fire doorholder system 9.

The fire alarm system 1 exchanges information with all of the componentscomprised in its network through wired or wireless communication. The‘language’ of the communication between the component parts of thenetwork, referred to as the communication protocol, defines the systemof rules, syntax, semantics and synchronisation that each component mustfollow in order to receive and transmit information compatibly withinthe fire alarm system 1. A single communication could be subject to therules and conventions set out by multiple communication protocols. Thecommunication protocol is typically defined by the manufacturer of thefire alarm control panel 2.

If any of the components of the fire alarm system 1 break or becomefaulty, it may become necessary to replace them. However, because thefire alarm system 1 communicates via a particular communicationprotocol, a replacement part must also communicate via this particularcommunication protocol. There are a large number of communicationprotocols, as well as operational protocols and other associatedconfiguration parameters. It would be beneficial to provide a componentthat could be configured post-assembly in order to operate according toprotocols selected by a manufacturer or user.

Advantageously, a non-configured component can be mass produced via asingle production line and stockpiled in a storage warehouse. Such acomponent can then be configured, at the time of order, according to aplurality of configuration parameters specified by the requirements ofthe fire alarm system 1 of an end user.

Whilst the fire alarm system 2 is illustrated as comprising a particularconfiguration of initiating devices and notification devices, thetechniques described herein are applicable to fire alarm systems 2comprising only some of these components and/or including additionalcomponents not discussed explicitly herein.

FIG. 2 shows a configurable smoke detector 10 for use in the fire alarmsystem 1.

The smoke detector 10 comprises a component controller 12. Thecontroller 12 could be any microcontroller or processor suitable forcontrolling the smoke detector 10 during normal operation, i.e. afterthe smoke detector 10 has been initialised in a fire alarm system 1.

The component controller 12 is configured to operate the smoke detector10 during normal operation, for example, detecting an increase in smokelevels, determining that the smoke levels exceed a predeterminedthreshold value, and communicating to fire alarm control panel 2 via anetwork that the smoke levels have exceeded the threshold value.

The smoke detector 10 also comprises an offline configuration module 14.The offline configuration module 14 of the smoke detector 10 is a RFIDtag and comprises an antenna 18 for receiving and transmitting wirelesssignals. The RFID tag 14 is a passive RFID tag and therefore does notinclude an internal battery. That is to say, the antenna 18 can drawpower from an RF (radio frequency) excitation field to power theoperation of the RFID tag 14. Therefore, the offline configurationmodule 14 can still operate even when power is not being supplied to thecomponent controller 12.

The component controller 12 is configured to internally communicate withthe offline configuration module 14 through a digital interface 16.

During manufacture of the smoke detector 10, the component controller 12is programmed to operate in accordance with any of a plurality ofconfiguration parameters, comprising communication and operationalprotocols, and the like. Thus, the relevant protocols and the like maybe programmed into a memory (not shown) of the component controller 12during manufacture, but the controller 12 is not initially configured toimplement the protocols.

Instead the component controller 12 is configured to, uponinitialisation, acquire from the offline configuration module 14 astored indication of at least one configuration parameter, which defineswhat protocol(s) the controller 12 should implement.

The smoke detector 10 begins an initialisation procedure upon supply ofpower to the component controller 12, which typically occurs followinginstallation in the fire alarm system 1. Initialisation of the smokedetector 10 comprises the subsequent activation and start-up procedureof the component controller 12.

After initialisation, the component controller 12 implements operationalprotocols for the smoke detector 10. For example, a predeterminedthreshold value may be set by industry or national safety standards,which can be configured using the offline configuration module 14. Thecomponent controller 12 also follows a communication protocol(s) of thefire alarm system 1 when communicating with the fire alarm control panel2, which can be configured using the offline configuration module 14.

A method of configuring the smoke detector 10 for use in the fire alarmsystem 1 is now described.

A selection of configuration parameters are input into an RF transceiver20. The configuration parameters may, for example, be determined basedon an end user's specification when ordering a particular component. Forexample, the end user may specify a device for use with a particularfire control panel 2, and the configuration parameters may define thecommunication protocol corresponding to that fire control panel 2.Likewise, the end user may specify a device for use in a specificcountry and in a particular environment, and the configuration parametermay define the corresponding smoke detection sensitivity thresholds forthat environment under the regulations of that country.

The RF transceiver 20 then generates a wireless signal containing anindication of the configuration parameters that the smoke detector 10 isto use.

The RF transceiver 20 generates an RF excitation field around itselfwithin which a non-configured component will be configured in accordancewith the configuration parameters. This area may be described as aconfiguration zone.

Upon the offline configuration module 14 being brought into aconfiguration zone, the RFID tag of the offline configuration module 14will be energised. The antenna 18 of the offline configuration module 14harvests power from the excitation field for the operation of theoffline configuration module 14 and receives the wireless signal. Theoffline configuration module 14 stores the indication of the at leastone protocol contained within the wireless signal. Optionally, theoffline configuration module 14 may then transmit via antenna 18 aconfirmation to the transceiver 20 that the indication of the at leastone protocol has been stored.

Upon subsequent initialisation of the configured smoke detector 10, asdescribed above, the controller 12 queries the offline configurationmodule 14 to acquire the stored indication of the at least oneconfiguration parameter. Once the controller 12 has acquired the storedindication of the at least one configuration parameter, the controller12 can operate in accordance with the at least one protocol asdesignated by the stored indication.

The configuration of the smoke detector 10 can occur at any pointbetween production and initialisation of the smoke detector 10. Theconfiguration can be carried out by a manufacturer. This can includeconfiguring the smoke detector 10 after the smoke detector 10 has beenpackaged and stored in a warehouse.

The smoke detector 10 can be configured by an end user prior toinitialisation of the smoke detector 10 within fire alarm system 1.

Advantageously, the use of an RFID tag within the offline configurationmodule 14 means that the smoke detector 10 does not need to bephysically connected, for example to a computer and/or power source.This means that the smoke detector 10 can be configured after packaging,allowing configuration to be performed after manufacture has beencompleted, or indeed after the smoke detector 10 has left the factory.

Furthermore, the use of RFID allows multiple smoke detectors 10 to bequickly configured in accordance with the same configuration parameters.For example, given a sufficiently powerful transceiver 20, an entirepallet of packaged smoke detectors 10 may be placed within theconfiguration zone, whereby each smoke detector 10 will receive the sameindication of configuration parameters at the same time. Alternativeembodiments may include, for example, a transceiver 20 arranged adjacentto a moving belt, whereby smoke detectors 10 are configured as they passthe transceiver 20 on the belt.

In some embodiments, the smoke detector 10 may be configured to undergoone and only one configuration process, i.e. the indication of the atleast one configuration parameter is permanently stored in the offlineconfiguration module 14 and cannot be overwritten in the event theoffline configuration module 14 receives any subsequent wireless signalscontaining further indications of configuration parameters.

Alternatively the smoke detector 10 could be configured more than once,wherein the previously stored indication is written over in response toreceiving a subsequent wireless signal containing a new indication of atleast one configuration parameter. For example, smoke detector 10 couldbe brought into a configuration zone by accident and receive anincorrect indication of at least one configuration parameter. The smokedetector 10 can then be reconfigured according to the original method asdiscussed above.

The techniques discussed herein are applicable to any component of afire alarm system 1, such as the fire alarm control panel 2 or any ofthe initiating devices or notification devices described above.Furthermore, whilst the techniques disclosed herein have been describedin the context of a fire alarm system 1, they may be employed incomponents for other alarm systems, such as an intrusion alarm system.

What is claimed is:
 1. A component for use in an alarm systemcomprising: a component controller; and an offline configuration module,wherein the offline configuration module is configured to receive andstore an indication of at least one configuration parameter wirelesslytransmitted to the configuration module, and wherein the componentcontroller is configured to, upon initialisation of the component,operate the component in accordance with the at least one configurationparameter indicated by the indication stored by the offlineconfiguration module.
 2. A component according to claim 1, wherein theoffline configuration module comprises an RFID tag.
 3. A componentaccording to claim 2, wherein the RFID tag is a passive RFID tag.
 4. Acomponent according to claim 1, wherein the component controllercomprises a memory storing a plurality of protocols, and wherein thecomponent controller is configured to operate in accordance with atleast one of the plurality of protocols based on the indication of theat least one configuration parameter.
 5. A component according to claim1, wherein the component controller is configured to, uponinitialisation of the component, acquire the indication of the at leastone configuration parameter from the offline configuration module.
 6. Acomponent according to claim 1, wherein the alarm system is a fire alarmsystem or an intrusion alarm system.
 7. A method of configuring acomponent for an alarm system, the method comprising: receiving, by anoffline configuration module of the component, wireless transmission ofan indication of at least one configuration parameter; and storing, bythe offline configuration module, the indication of the at least oneconfiguration parameter, wherein a component controller of the componentis configured to, upon initialisation of the component, operate thecomponent in accordance with the at least one configuration parameterindicated by the indication stored by the offline configuration module.8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the component controller isconfigured to, upon initialisation of the component, acquire theindication of at least one configuration parameter from the offlineconfiguration module.
 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein thecomponent controller is configured to, in response to acquiring anindication of at least one configuration parameter, activate a protocolstored in a memory of the component controller and indicated by the atleast one configuration parameter.
 10. A method according to claim 7,further comprising: establishing a configuration zone, wherein awireless transmission containing an indication of the at least oneconfiguration parameter is transmitted to each component brought intothe configuration zone; and bringing the component into theconfiguration zone.
 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein thecomponent is one of a plurality of components brought into theconfiguration zone simultaneously.
 12. A method according to claim 7,further comprising: broadcasting a wireless transmission from atransceiver; preferably wherein the wireless transmission is a radiofrequency (RF) signal and the transceiver is an interrogator.
 13. Amethod according to claim 7, wherein the method is performed afterproduction of the physical component has been completed.
 14. A methodaccording to claim 7, wherein the method is performed after thecomponent has been packaged.